STORRS — Geno Auriemma was in the middle of fielding questions about the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket when he casually decided to ask one of his own.

Naturally, it came with a hint of sarcasm.

“Did they already say which is the hardest bracket? Does that come out yet? You know, like in the World Cup — the Group of Death,” the UConn coach cracked to reporters. “Is there a Bracket of Death? Has anybody established themselves as being in the Bracket of Death?”

UConn (31-2) isn’t a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2006. Perhaps, time will only tell if it matters.

The Huskies, seeded second behind Louisville in the Albany (N.Y.) Regional, tip off first-round play Friday (6:30 p.m.) against No. 15 Towson at Gampel Pavilion.

Let’s take a closer look at what the 11-time national champions will be up against as they embark on the road to the Final Four in Tampa, Fla.

No. 1 Louisville (29-3): With two-time ACC Player of the Year Asia Durr (averaging 21.3 points) a surefire top-5 pick in April’s WNBA Draft, this may be Louisville’s best shot to win a national championship. The Cardinals beat UConn at home in January, 78-69.

No. 3 Maryland (28-4): The Terrapins dropped the Big 10 Tournament final to Iowa after racing to the regular-season crown. Fortunately, Hawkeyes forward Megan Gustafson, who torched the Terrapins for 45 points to bolster her candidacy for national player of the year, is on the opposite side of the bracket.

No. 4 Oregon St (24-7): Coming off a stunning loss to Washington in the Pac-12 quarterfinals, the Beavers must have a short memory if they intend to make a deep run. Having one of the country’s top point guards in Destiny Slocum, a Maryland transfer, should help.

No. 5 Gonzaga (28-4): Point guard Laura Stockton — the daughter of NBA Hall-of-Famer John Stockton — and Jill Townsend, the team’s best bench player, both missed the WCC final and aren’t expected back anytime soon.

No. 6 UCLA (20-12): The Bruins surprisingly pushed Oregon to the brink in the Pac-12 semifinals before falling in overtime, 88-83. They have a rising star in sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere (18.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg).

No. 7 Rutgers (22-9): Vivian Stringer, one of five Division-I women’s coaches with 1,000 wins (including Auriemma), is sitting out the rest of the season for health reasons. The Scarlet Knights will presumably face their old Big East rival should they get past Buffalo.

No. 9 Kansas State (21-11): Like Michigan, their first-round opponent, the Wildcats are riding a wave of momentum. They’re 8-3 in their last 11 games.

No. 10 Buffalo (23-9): As goes Cierra Dillard, so go the Bulls. The senior guard is second in the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg) and carried her team to the MAC championship.

No. 11 Tennessee (19-12): UConn’s fiercest rival narrowly avoided missing the tournament for the first time. The Lady Vols overcame a six-game losing streak to grab one of the last four at-large bids. Relief on Rocky Top.

No. 12 Little Rock (21-10): The Sun Belt champions are in the dance for the sixth time since 2010.

No. 13 Boise State (28-4): Back-to-back trips to the tournament. Back-to-back first-round losses. Will the third time be the charm for the Broncos?

No. 14: Radford (26-6): With four players scoring in double-figures, the Highlanders are in midst of their winningest season in program history.

No. 15: Towson (20-12): The Tigers won the CAA title to secure their first NCAA bid. The reward? A trip to face the preeminent program in the sport.

No. 16: Robert Morris (22-10): The Colonials are in the tournament for the fourth time in six seasons.